Numb Legs, and a few other things
Yesterday during our 3:10 bike ride, I was talking to Sara about running in the PM. You see I avoid night runs like the plague. I just don't feel the same. I'm not as fresh, the air seems so stagnant, and frankly - I just kinda like to vege & get to bed early. Oh, yah - top that off with the fact that it's been 100 degrees here in AZ and I avoid it even more.
Well, by adjusting my schedule a little over the last couple of weeks with travel, being sick, etc., I had to miss my Monday am run, and the only really good place to put it was Tuesday evening. So, after a 3:10bike ride in the am, I ended the day with an 1:45run.
So, back to my conversation with Sara. She started describing how she feels when she runs at night lately, and also on Sundays after the long bike rides. She said she has one pace. She can't go any slower, and she can't go any faster - it's just a flat pace, and after a while, her legs just simply go NUMB. I was thinking, numb.. really? She must be crazy. Man, I've always got some sort of weird pain, or sore muscle or something, and actually I'd really like it if the legs would go numb!
Well, I got my wish! Last night I left my house at about 6:30pm. It was 96degrees out, but I was prepared, kinda. I was scared as heck about the heat, thinking it would be the determining factor on my HR and pace. Ever since my knee surgery I'm just a plain old slow runner, add a 50+mile ride in there, and near 100degree temps & I had no idea what was in store for me.
However, I did figure this to be a good mental workout, and great prep for IM. My legs were tired and sore from my Daniel leg workout. I did a 5000yard swim the day before, and an early am bike ride. It was hot, and late in the day - sounds like pretty good practice, huh?
So, I came prepared. IPOD with a few new tunes on it. A fuel belt with 2 10oz frozen bottles of water, as well as my 20oz bottle in hand. I was certainly not going to run low on water. Oh yah, and two power gels.
The first mile was tough. My hamstrings were really tight from the leg workout, and the rest of the muscles felt SO HEAVY. Then, it was weird... the next thing I new, I was at a 3mile mark at 29:40. I wasn't overheated, and the craziest part was my HR was standing still at 141, sometimes dipping to 137 and only going as high as 147. Now THIS has NEVER happened. My typical average HR, on a LOW day is 151, and on a normal day 154-156.
I stopped for a potty break at about :45mins. I also refilled my bottle with ice. I was feeling really really tired at this point. Like sleepy tired. I started to think about cutting the run short, maybe only going 1:30... That seemed like a good run to me. But, somehow I found myself continuing to run, run on the route I had figured would take me 1:45.
At about 1:15 things kinda started to fall apart. I was trying to do some math in my head and that certainly was NOT working. Then, I started to shuffle my feet. The next thing on the list was getting dizzy. I checked my HR and it was still holding around 140ish, but I was not feeling too well. I started to do some walking. Just so I could regain my composure.
Somehow it all worked out. I got home at 1:41 - 9.5miles, or a 10:37min mile. I couldn't believe it! Oh and the craziest part was - my AVG HR was 144. I have NEVER had an avg HR that low. Never. Guess I was worried about ALL the wrong things!
S had just finished his speed run and was about as coherent as me, so there wasn't much for conversation. I have NO idea how he can do speed work at night in this heat! Although, I'm pretty sure he couldn't do it when it's 35degrees out, and I would thrive in that temp!
Oh, and as for the numb legs - they certainly were NOT numb anymore! We made it to bed at about 9:30, and I think I was completely passed out by 9:45. I slept solid (which has not happened in weeks) until 5am. Today, today I feel refreshed. It took me a good hour to get going this am, and work up the strength to do my speed run, but I felt so much better after.
Even my speed swim workout went great. Maybe it was because I had momo doing it with me. We haven't done the workout together in a while, so it was nice. It went by very very fast!
So, to sum it all up - I'm very glad that I did that workout last night. It hurt, but I feel stronger for doing it. Breaking my fear of the evening runs, and making me feel a little more confident about the marathon portion of IM.
Oh - a quick aside. I picked up our bikes today form the shop! I got a new 12-27 cassette put on my bike, a new chain & a tune-up. S got my old cassette (he went from an 11-23, to a 12-27), got a new chain as well, and a new rear tire (hopefully no more flats). I'm pretty excited to see if I can climb up the hills a little faster. I'm such a good little HR girl, that I am usually the last one up the hill trying to stay in my zone! Hopefully this will keep my HR a little lower, and let me move a little faster.
Do any of you have those funny little sayings, about going into certain stores and having a "minimum expenditure?" S - used to joke about going to Target with me. He called it the $100 Target min. Well, I think the bike shop has taken over. Unfortunately it's not a $100 min. Try a $300min. YIKES!
Hope you are all having a good week!
Well, by adjusting my schedule a little over the last couple of weeks with travel, being sick, etc., I had to miss my Monday am run, and the only really good place to put it was Tuesday evening. So, after a 3:10bike ride in the am, I ended the day with an 1:45run.
So, back to my conversation with Sara. She started describing how she feels when she runs at night lately, and also on Sundays after the long bike rides. She said she has one pace. She can't go any slower, and she can't go any faster - it's just a flat pace, and after a while, her legs just simply go NUMB. I was thinking, numb.. really? She must be crazy. Man, I've always got some sort of weird pain, or sore muscle or something, and actually I'd really like it if the legs would go numb!
Well, I got my wish! Last night I left my house at about 6:30pm. It was 96degrees out, but I was prepared, kinda. I was scared as heck about the heat, thinking it would be the determining factor on my HR and pace. Ever since my knee surgery I'm just a plain old slow runner, add a 50+mile ride in there, and near 100degree temps & I had no idea what was in store for me.
However, I did figure this to be a good mental workout, and great prep for IM. My legs were tired and sore from my Daniel leg workout. I did a 5000yard swim the day before, and an early am bike ride. It was hot, and late in the day - sounds like pretty good practice, huh?
So, I came prepared. IPOD with a few new tunes on it. A fuel belt with 2 10oz frozen bottles of water, as well as my 20oz bottle in hand. I was certainly not going to run low on water. Oh yah, and two power gels.
The first mile was tough. My hamstrings were really tight from the leg workout, and the rest of the muscles felt SO HEAVY. Then, it was weird... the next thing I new, I was at a 3mile mark at 29:40. I wasn't overheated, and the craziest part was my HR was standing still at 141, sometimes dipping to 137 and only going as high as 147. Now THIS has NEVER happened. My typical average HR, on a LOW day is 151, and on a normal day 154-156.
I stopped for a potty break at about :45mins. I also refilled my bottle with ice. I was feeling really really tired at this point. Like sleepy tired. I started to think about cutting the run short, maybe only going 1:30... That seemed like a good run to me. But, somehow I found myself continuing to run, run on the route I had figured would take me 1:45.
At about 1:15 things kinda started to fall apart. I was trying to do some math in my head and that certainly was NOT working. Then, I started to shuffle my feet. The next thing on the list was getting dizzy. I checked my HR and it was still holding around 140ish, but I was not feeling too well. I started to do some walking. Just so I could regain my composure.
Somehow it all worked out. I got home at 1:41 - 9.5miles, or a 10:37min mile. I couldn't believe it! Oh and the craziest part was - my AVG HR was 144. I have NEVER had an avg HR that low. Never. Guess I was worried about ALL the wrong things!
S had just finished his speed run and was about as coherent as me, so there wasn't much for conversation. I have NO idea how he can do speed work at night in this heat! Although, I'm pretty sure he couldn't do it when it's 35degrees out, and I would thrive in that temp!
Oh, and as for the numb legs - they certainly were NOT numb anymore! We made it to bed at about 9:30, and I think I was completely passed out by 9:45. I slept solid (which has not happened in weeks) until 5am. Today, today I feel refreshed. It took me a good hour to get going this am, and work up the strength to do my speed run, but I felt so much better after.
Even my speed swim workout went great. Maybe it was because I had momo doing it with me. We haven't done the workout together in a while, so it was nice. It went by very very fast!
So, to sum it all up - I'm very glad that I did that workout last night. It hurt, but I feel stronger for doing it. Breaking my fear of the evening runs, and making me feel a little more confident about the marathon portion of IM.
Oh - a quick aside. I picked up our bikes today form the shop! I got a new 12-27 cassette put on my bike, a new chain & a tune-up. S got my old cassette (he went from an 11-23, to a 12-27), got a new chain as well, and a new rear tire (hopefully no more flats). I'm pretty excited to see if I can climb up the hills a little faster. I'm such a good little HR girl, that I am usually the last one up the hill trying to stay in my zone! Hopefully this will keep my HR a little lower, and let me move a little faster.
Do any of you have those funny little sayings, about going into certain stores and having a "minimum expenditure?" S - used to joke about going to Target with me. He called it the $100 Target min. Well, I think the bike shop has taken over. Unfortunately it's not a $100 min. Try a $300min. YIKES!
Hope you are all having a good week!
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